Pirates Excel In Second Day Of ITA Southeast Regional

SUMTER, S.C. - The Armstrong Atlantic State men's and women's tennis teams excelled in second-day action at the ITA Southeast Regional on Saturday at the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter, S.C., placing four women's singles players and three men's singles players in the quarterfinals.

Three AASU women's doubles teams are still alive in the semifinals with one duo of AASU men also alive in the main draws.

Fourth-seeded Mikk Irdoja moved into the quarterfinals with a pair of wins on Saturday. Irdoja defeated Harry Snoxell of Flagler, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, then defeated Henrique Boturao of Augusta State, 6-3, 7-5. He will be joined by 9-16 seed Rafael Array, who picked up a 6-1, 6-3 win over Peter Coulis of Flagler, then notched a big 7-5, 7-6 win over No. 2 seed Dilshod Sharifi of Francis Marion. Array's opponent in the quarterfinals will be teammate and 5-8 seed Paul Fitzgerald, who notched a 6-1, 6-3 win over Filipe Garcia of USC Aiken as well as a 6-1, 6-1 win over 9-16 seed Nemanja Djuric of Columbus State.

In men's doubles, the second-seeded team of Array and Irdoja are into the semifinals after an 8-3 win over Ganss and Guenther of Lander, as well as an 8-5 win over Solymosi and Vanhoy of Lees-McRae. The duo of Daniel Regan and Fitzgerald fell short in their semifinal bid, first defeating Guglielmeti and Klaas of USC Aiken, 8-2, but falling to No. 3 seed Noblet and Suarez of Columbus State, 8-6.

On the women's side, five of the eight quarterfinalists are Lady Pirates. Top-seed and defending DII singles champion Sona Novakova breezed into the quarterfinals with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Mathilde Grenet of USC Aiken and a 6-1, 6-1 win over teammate Alisa Kagukina. Her opponent on Sunday in the quarterfinals will be teammate and No. 9-16 seed Martina Beckmann, who defeated Kayla Barksdale of GCSU, 6-3, 6-1, as well as Bertille Lino of GCSU, 6-4, 6-1, to set up the meeting with Novakova.

No. 9-16 seed Kathleen Henry is also into the semifinals after a 6-0, 6-0 win over Stephanie Medley of Coker and a 6-1, 4-1 (ret.) upset win over No. 5-8 seed Jitka Gavdunova of Francis Marion. Second seed Alida Muller-Wehlau is also into the semifinals after a 6-0, 6-0 win over Caterina Kiefer of Columbus State and a 6-2, 6-1 win over teammate and No. 9-16 seed Tina Ronel. Ronel had defeated Victoria Stephens of Erskine, 6-1, 6-0, in the round of 32 and Kagukina had picked up a 6-1, 6-0 win over Nicola James of Lander, also in the round of 32. No. 4 seed Gabriella Kovacs fell in her quarterfinal bid as, after a 6-0, 6-2 win over Vernoica Figueiroa of Flagler, she lost 6-0, 6-2 to Sabina Barbaradova of Francis Marion.

In doubles play, AASU has three of the four semifinalists after Saturday's action. Top-seeded Beckman and Muller-Wehlau are into the semis after an 8-5 win over Bignon and Rheault of Erskine, as well as an 8-2 win over No. 5-8 seed Persson and Toumi. Their opponent will be No. 3 seed Henry and Ronel, who defeated Lindqvist and Machado of Augusta State as well as Kiefer and Vasilescu of USC Aiken, 9-7.

The No. 2 seeded duo of Kovacs and Novakova are also into the semis after an 8-2 win over Adusumilli and Cordell of Lander and a 9-8 win over No. 5-8 seed and defending Southeast Region duo Semyrodenko and White of Clayton State.

Play continues on Sunday with both singles and doubles action at the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter, S.C.